Over the years, a wide variety of different types of tools have been developed for use by finishing carpenters. These tools are oftentimes specifically directed for accomplishing a particular function that is required for a finishing carpenter to be able to work effectively and efficiently. More recently, there has been a focus on tools that are powered in order to facilitate the tasks that must be performed.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,203,389 to Kurtz discloses an apparatus for cutting contours in a workpiece. This relatively simple apparatus was subsequently followed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,566 to Schmidt which discloses an apparatus for shaping a wooden workpiece according to a template configuration and U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,235 to Fukami which discloses an apparatus for bandsawing operations which has a profiling mechanism capable of automatically copying a model. Still more recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,732 to Heasley discloses a coping apparatus which includes a circular saw.
More specifically, the Heasley '732 patent discloses a circular saw that is mounted on two sliding bases for freedom of movement in the "X" and "Y" directions. The coping apparatus of this patent also includes a support for a stylus used to control the positioning of the saw blade by traversing movement along the profile of a template. With this arrangement, the template is supported on a stationary base underlying a table on which the end portion of a molding to be coped is suitably supported.
More traditionally, a molding end portion has been manually coped by using a conventional coping saw. This is an extremely time consuming and difficult task to perform which requires significant experience and expertise and, even then, it is difficult at best to provide a truly precise fit between two pieces of molding that are to form a joint. Accordingly, the Heasley '732 patent represents one attempt to overcome the limitations of a conventional coping saw.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects.